Wheel-plow.



W. S. NICHOLS.

WHEEL PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED NATL-1911.-

1,Q12 ,697. I Patented 1)....26, 1911.

2 SHEETS-811E211 1.

JHWMQJQM W. S. NICHOLS.

WHEEL PLOW. APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, i911.

Patented Dec; 26, 1911.

man STATES PATENT orrron.

WINFIELD S. NICHOLS, OF PLANO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INDEPENDENTI-IARVESTER- COMPANY, OF PLANO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WHEEL-PLOW.

Specification of: Letters Patent.

Application filed May 4, 1911.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Serial No. 624,959.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LVVINFIELD S. NICHOLS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Plano, in the county ofKendall and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Wheel-Flows, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to means for controlling the rear caster wheelsof wheel plows.

It consists of the features and elements described and shown in thedrawings as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1, is a plan view of a wheel plow showing thegeneral configuration of the plow in dotted lines and in full lines thefeatures'embodying this invention. Fig. 2, is a detail plan view of thecaster controlling device, showing it in unlocked position. Fig. 3, is asectional elevation of the same taken as indicated at line 3-3 on Fig.2. Fig. 4, is a bottom plan view of the device, in locked position. Fig.5, is an enlarged plan view of the locking mechanism, showing theunlocked position in dotted lines.

As shown in Fig. 1, the plow frame, 1, is supported and carried by threewheels, namely, the front steering wheel, 2, a side wheel, 3, and a rearcaster wheel, 4. The side wheel, 3, is journaled on a sidewardlyextended axle, 5, whose angle with the frame, 1, is fixed; while thefront and rear wheels, 2 and 4, are carried upon short axles, 6 and 7respectively, which are pivotally connected with the frame, in order tobe adapted for steering the plow around curves as well as in a straightpath.

The caster wheel axle, 7, is a short arm, jutting from the caster wheelbracket, 9, which comprises a vertical stem portion, 9 journaled in asleeve bracket, 8, mounted upon the rear end of the frame, 1. Theforward axle, 6, is bent upwardly at its inner end and this verticalpost, 6*, passes through a sleeve, 10 of a sidewardly extending bracket,10, of the frame, 1. Above this sleeve there is secured to the post, 6an angle bracket, 11, carrying the rock shaft, 12, to which the tongue,13, of the plow is connected and by which it is permitted to rock in avertical plane, in the customary manner.

With no additions to the parts described it will be seen that the casterwheel, 4, will act merely as a trailer and will swing about its pivot, 9whenever the plow is deflected from a straight-ahead course, by turningthe steering wheel, 2, out of its straight ahead position. In makingturns with the plow this is the desired operation, that is, that thetrailing caster wheel shall swing about its pivot to accommodate itselfto the curve of the path determined by the steering wheel, 2.

The caster wheel, 4, is liable to be wabbled more or less, from side toside, by reason of irregularities, stones or soft places in the furrowwhich it is following, whereas it is desirable that it should be held tounvarying position following the correct line of the furrow. To hold itthus in unvarying position free from wabbling due to the causesindicated, there is provided means hereinafter described for locking thecaster wheel bracket, 9, rigidly with the frame, except when it shouldbe free to turn when making turns with the plow. The most convenientmeans of thus locking the caster wheel bracket consists in providing itwith a sidewardly-extending lever arm, 14, connected by a reach, 15,which extends to the steering wheel bracket where it is locked, ashereinafter described.

In the ordinary course of plowing there is always a certain amount ofside-to-side play of the tongue, 13, caused by the walking of the drafthorses, particularly if the ground traversed is rough or uneven, and itis desirable that this limited play of the tongue, which necessarilycauses a certain amount of turning of the steering wheel, 2, about theaxis of its king post, 6 be not transmitted to the caster wheel, 4; forif this caster wheel were free to follow all the slight deviations ofthe steering wheel from a straight course, it would only tend to magnifythe crookedness of the path and cause the plow to make a crooked furrowinstead of a straight one.

In order to hold the steering wheel locked as described, so that it willnot wabble by reason of the irregularities in its own furrow and also toprevent its being wabbled by the wabbling of the steering wheel, theconnection of the reach, 15, to the steering wheel bracket is made inthe following manner: The forward end of the reach rod,

15, is slidably secured in a guide, 16, carried by a bracket, 17 whichis mounted. upon the angle bracket, 11. The connection of the guide, 16,with the bracket, 17 is made by means of a pivot bolt, 17, locateddirectly the caster wheel, 4L, stands in a normal straight-aheadposition, is engaged by the notch, 18, of the lock member, 18. This lockis slidably carried in a bracket .portion, 16, extending transversely ofthe guide, 16, and secured thereto. A spring, 19, re-act ing between anupstanding lug, 16, at the outer end of the bracket, 16, and a boss, 18,on the guide arm, 18, of the lock member, 18, normally holds the lock inposit-ion with its notch, 18, engaging lug, 15, of the reach rod. Inline with the boss, 18, and below it, the arm has a downwardly extendinghub, 18 which protrudes through a slot, 16, in the slide bracketandjournals on its lower end a roller, 20, held in position by a bolt, 21,passing through the boss and hub. The bracket, 17, has a peripheralflange, formed to act as a cam against the roller,-20, when the bracket,17, is turned with respect to the guide, 16, when the steering wheel, 2,turns about the axis of its king post, 6. This cam face may beconsidered in three portions, indicated at 17, 17 and 17 respectively.The middleportion, 17, is so formed as to permit a limited amount ofside play of the steering wheel, 2, without causing sufficient outwardmovement of the roller, 20, to release the lock member, 18, which itgoverns. The portion,

17 is substantially an arc of a circle de-. scribed about the center ofthepivot bolt, 17 and with such radius that as the roller,

20, rides onto this portion of the cam, the lock member, 18, is thrusttransversely out of engagement with the lug, 15. It is expected that theamount of angular movement of the steering wheel, which is necessary toaccomplish this unlocking of the reach-rod, 15, will only take place inthe case of an intentional turn, at whichtime it is desirable thatthecaster wheel, 4:, be unlocked and permitted to follow the curved pathfor facilitating the turn. The portion of the cam indicated at, 17, issimilar to that at, 17 and will come into operation in the case of aturn in the opposite direction. As the turn nears completion, thesteering wheel will assume its straight-ahead position in which themiddle portion, 17, of the cam face is opposite the roller, 20, and atthe same time the trailing caster wheel, 4, in assuming itsstraightahead position brings the lug, 15, of the reach rod opposite thenotch, 18, of the lock it by pressure of the spring, 19, which is nolonger resisted by the action of the cam. In

case the caster wheel lags a little behind the steering wheel, inassuming a straightahead position, it will be seen that the resistanceof the cam to the action of the spring, 19, may be removed before thelug, 15, has come into registration with the notch, 18, in which casethe flat face, 18, will be pressed against the lug by the spring, 19.This face, however, is polished smooth, as is also the lug, and with theleverage furnished by the relative lengths of the bracket, 8, and itsrocker arm, 14, the caster wheel in assuming its straight-aheadposition, will'readily bring the lug, 15, into registration with thenotch, 18, and the lock will then snap into locking posit-ion.

It may be noted that the cam bracket,.17, is connected to the anglebracket, 11, by a horizontal pivot bolt, 11*. This is -to permit acertain amount of vertical tilting of the bracket, 17, and the guide,16, carried by it to acommodate the guide to the change of position ofthe rod, 15, occasioned by raising or lowering the plow frame inadjusting for the desired depth of furrow.

I claim p 1. In a wheel plow, in combination with the frame, the tonguepivotally connected thereto, and a rear caster wheel, a reach rodconnected to the caster wheel bracket, a locking device carried by theframe, positioned for securing the rod against longitudinal movement, acam mounted for rotation with the tongue about its pivot and formed foreffecting disengagement of the locking device when the tongue is sorotated beyond certain angular limits in either direction, and operativeconnections between said cam and the locking device.

2. In a wheel plow, in combination with the frame, the tongue pivotallyconnected thereto, and a rear caster wheel, a reach rod connected at oneend to the caster wheel bracket, a lock member carried by the frame,said lock member and the reach rod being formed with mutually engagingfeatures, and cooperating features on the lock member and the tonguebracket respectively, positioned and adapted for encounter when thetongue is rotated about its pivot.

3. In a wheel plow, in combination with the frame, the tongue pivotallyconnected thereto, and a rear caster wheel, a reach rod connected at oneend to the caster wheel bracket, the other end of the reach rodintersecting the axis of the tongue pivot and having a transverselyextending lug, a guide for the rod pivoted on the. tongue bracketcoaxially with the tongue pivot, a spring-pressed lock mounted for movement transverse of the rod and having a notch adapted to engage the lugthereof,

and a cam mounted for rotation with the tongue about its pivot andformed for disengaging the look from the lug during such I rotation.

4. In a wheel plow, in combination with the frame, the tongue pivotallyconnected thereto, and a rear caster wheel, a reach rod connected to thecaster wheel bracket, a locking device carried by the frame, positionedfor securing the rod against longitudinal movement, a cam mounted forrotation with the tongue about its pivot, the locking device having aprojection and the outline of the cam being formed with a recesspositioned to receivesaid projection when the tongue and caster wheelare in normal straight ahead positions, the outlines of the cam ateither side of said recess being of greater radius than the bottom ofthe recess for efiecting disengagement of the locking device when thetongue is rotated.

5. In a wheel plow, in combination with the frame, the tongue pivotallyconnected thereto, and a rear caster wheel, a reach rod connected at oneend to the caster wheel bracket, a slotted guide mounted on the frame,the reach rod having a transversely extending lug engaging the slot ofsaid guide, a straight edged shoe mounted for movement transverse of theguide slot with its straight edge parallel to said slot, a springadapted to hold the shoe in contact with the lug of the reach rod, thestraight edge of the shoe being notched to receive said lug for securingthe rod against longitudinal movement, and means operatively connectedwith the tongue and adapted to effect disengagement of the notch and thelug when said tongue is rotated.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois,this 27th day of April, 1911.

WINFIELD S. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

LUCY I. STONE, M. GERTRUDE ADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

